Question:
After a very close relative who lives abroad passes away, can we see their face through a video call?
Answer:
Generally, there is no separate ruling specifically for watching through video. It should be understood in a general way. Whatever is permissible to see in person can also be seen through video. Do you understand?
Can someone watch an obscene dance in person? Then it should not be watched through video either.
Can someone listen to lies or immoral talk in person? Then it should not be listened to through video either.
On the other hand, if someone is conducting a cooking class or a mathematics lesson, can that be watched in person? Yes, and it can also be watched through video.
So, what is the ruling regarding video? Video is something that did not exist during the time of the Prophetﷺ (peace be upon him). In modern times, it is simply a medium that displays something visually. Regarding video, there are two types: one is recorded content and the other is live. If it is recorded, it shows something that already happened. If it is live, it means the event is happening at that moment. These are the two types of videos. Whatever is permissible to watch directly in person is also permissible to watch through video.
So, when asking whether it is permissible to watch through video, you should first ask whether it is permissible to watch it directly in person. If someone has died, can we see their face? If someone has died, will they come back to life if we go and see them? No, they will not. So, there is no worldly benefit in that sense. However, every human being has a natural desire to see their loved one, one last time. Whether it is someone we studied with, lived with, a husband, a wife, or a father, people feel the desire to see them for the last time before burial. Once they are buried, they cannot be seen again. This feeling exists in everyone.
Did the Messengerﷺ of Allahﷻ accept this feeling or reject it? He accepted it.
For example, Jabir’s father, Abdullah, was killed in the Battle of Uhud and became a martyr. His face was severely mutilated. His body was brought home and covered with a cloth. I explained this incident in a previous live session. Jabir wanted to see his father. People tried to prevent him because his father’s face was badly damaged, and they feared it would cause emotional pain to the son. But when the Prophetﷺ (peace be upon him) saw this, he allowed the cloth to be lifted so Jabir could see his father. The Prophetﷺ himself permitted it, showing that when a son wishes to see his deceased father one last time, he should not be prevented. Therefore, seeing a deceased person is generally permissible in religious understanding.
Similarly, after the Prophetﷺ (peace be upon him) passed away, he was covered with a cloth. Abu Bakr, who was living outside the city, came, uncovered the cloth, saw the Prophetﷺ, and kissed him. We see this mentioned in hadith. Although this alone is not used as a legal proof, the Prophetﷺ had already permitted such actions in the case of Jabir.
Therefore, it is permissible to see directly, and it is also permissible to see through video. For example, if someone living in Singapore wants to travel to India just to see a deceased relative, it may cost thousands or even lakhs of money, and it would take much time. By then, the burial would already be completed, and they would not wait. In such a situation, if someone requests to see the deceased through video as a final viewing, it is permissible.
Is there any religious ruling that forbids showing a deceased person through video? There is no such ruling. One may freely watch it. Anything permissible to see in person is also permissible to see through video. The rulings related to video have been explained separately on many occasions, and they can be referred to there.
